Floor-sweeper



(No-Model.)

E. K. HERB.

FLOOR SWEEPER. V

No. 465,930. Patented Dec. 29, 1891.

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'ATENT QFFICE.

ELAM K. HERB, OF BLOOMFIELD, IOlVA.

FLOOR-SWEEPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,930, dated December29, 1891.

Application filed March 2, 1891.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELAM K. HER-R, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Bloomfield, in the county of Davis and Stateof Iowa, have invented a new and useful Floor-Sweeper, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide lmproved means for collectingthe dust and other waste matter which may be scattered about on a floor.

My invention consists in the combination, with awheeled truck and adust-pan mounted thereon, of a revolving brush geared to amanually-propelled traction-wheel, which latter is located in the rearof said brush, and is preferably of much greater diameter than saidbrush.

Myinvention consists, further, in the combination, with a floor-sweeper,of a curtain depending between the dust-pan and brush thereof, whichapron is formed in sections, which are capable of transverse variationrelative to each other and are provided with means to normalize the sameautomatically after any movement thereof.

My invention consists in certain details of construction hereinafter setforth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated by the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the completedevice. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view through thedust-box, brush, and wheel. Fig. 3 is a detail front view of the.depending curtain.

A represents acase, preferably made of sheet metal and divided into twosections by an inclined partition B. One of these sections is open onthe lower side and has a roller-brush C journaled in ends thereof. Theother section has a lid hinged on the top side thereof and is used as adust-box. This case A is supported on rollers D, pivoted to the endsthereof below the partition B. The brushroller is provided with anannular groove in the periphery of its central portion, adapted to admitand guide a round belt F, by means of which the roller is geared to theactuating mechanism. An oval-shaped opening is made in one side of theconvex top of that section of the case A which incloses the brush 0. Aconical open-ended guide-piece J is fitted by Serial No. 383,428- (Nomodel.)

means of its smaller end within the said opening and projects inwardtherefrom. The i11- ner projecting portion of this guide-piece is injuxtaposition to the groove in the roller and serves to separate thebrush on one side of said groove from that on the other side thereof.The bristles are so set in the roller adjacent to the groove as that theouter ends thereof meet at all points, except where separated by theguide-piece, and engage the inside of that part of the case whichcontains the rotatable brush, as required, to deposit the dust or otherwaste matter in the dust-box when the said brush is rotated in eitherdirection. The belt F passes out of the case A through the guide-piece Jand the opening H, and after being once twisted is carried to a groovein the center of the perimeter of the wheel K, in which groove it isadapted to be confined. The wheel K is vertically secured in asupporting-frame L, and has india-rubher or other cushioning materialsecured to its perimeter on each side of the annular groove. The frame Lhas handles M on one end, and the other end is fixed to the ends of thecase A.

0 represents an apron, the upper edge of which is secured to the upperedge of the partition, from which it depends. The apron O is made insections, each having a loop secured on the under side thereof, adaptedto admit an elastic strap P therein. The ends of this strap P aresecured to the ends of the solid partition B.

In the practical use of my invention, the device being grasped by thehandles and propelled forward, the wheel K is revolved, and, beinggeared by the belt F to the brush-roller, which is of a much lessdiameter than said wheel, said brush-roller will be revolved at a veryhigh rate of speed with a very small amount of gearing, thus cheapeningthe construction and facilitating the operation of the device. By reasonof the apron 0 being made in sections, the several sections will uponmeeting any slight obstruction pass over the same independently oftheadjacent sections, and after having so passed will be normalized bythe resistance of the elastic strap P.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by 1 Letters Patent, is

1. In a floor-sweeper, a flexible curtain composed of pieces of flexiblematerial attached to the lower edge of the dust box or case to projectdownward, and an elastic strap extended through incisions in the curtainsections or pieces to normally retain them in line with each other, asand for the purposes stated.

2. In a floonsweeper, a case A, having its front end adapted to serve asa dust-box and having its rear end adapted to allow a circular rotatablebrush to be journaled therein and to engage the inside thereof, and adoubleinclined partition 13 on the under side of the case injuxtaposition to the periphery of the rotatable brush and terminating inthe dustbox, and the conical open-ended guide-piece J, adapted toseparate the brush at the point where the bolt enters the case, and aflexible curtain depending from the lower edge of the ELAM K. HERE.

\Vitnesses:

JoHN F. SCARBOROUGH, M. GREENLEA'F.

